Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jeong-a returning as haenyeo, what female characters did they play?

It is not easy to find a work with a female character as the lead. It is only relatively recently that female characters have taken their place as characters who stand at the center of events, rather than characters such as licorice or pamphlete who help the male protagonist with his case.

In Korean and foreign films, there are only a handful of cases where female characters play the lead role. Even in a number of famous works, it is not boring to look at the fact that male characters are the main characters. Among them, director Ryoo Seung-wan will release on the 26th the movie 'Smuggling' starring a female character for the first time in 20 years following 'No Blood No Tears' (2002). Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah are the main characters.

In fact, Ryoo Seung-wan had mainly produced films with two male characters before. Kim Yun-seok and Jo In-seong appeared in “Mogadishu,” which was released in 2021, Hwang Jung-min and Yoo Ah-in in “Veteran” (2015), and Ha Jung-woo, Han Seok-kyu, and Ryu Seung-beom in “Berlin” (2013). Of course, in the case of 'Berlin', Jeon Ji-hyun also appears in a role with weight, but it is a somewhat limited role as Ha Jung-woo's wife. Ha Jung-woo and Ryoo Seung-beom of 'The Unjust Deal' (2010), Jung Doo-hong and Lee Beom-soo of 'Party' (2006), Choi Min-shik and Ryoo Seung-beom of 'Crying Fist' (2005), Ryu Seung-beom of 'Arahan Jangpungdae Operation' (2004), etc. Even after looking around, Jeon Do-yeon and Lee Hye-young of 'No Blood No Tears' are the only films with a female lead.

Recently, it is not uncommon to see the existence of Korean films starring female characters. In the movie 'Gil Bok-soon' (director Byun Seong-hyun) released on Netflix, Jeon Do-yeon plays the role of Gil Bok-soon, a killer and ordinary housewife, and leads the play with a sense of weight. Jeon Do-yeon, who plays a killer as a job to make a living by lightly twisting the formula of a killer = a man, is intense, but was praised for her tactful balance as a mother. The movie 'Jeongi' (director Yeon Sang-ho), which was released on Netflix, also starred actors Kim Hyun-joo and the late Kang Su-yeon. Kim Hyun-joo, who transformed into Yoon Jeong-yi, who led the civil war to victory in an earth devastated by rapid climate change, was praised for focusing on her solid inner self as a mercenary and her worries as a mother.

In the poster of the upcoming tent pole movies 'Concrete Utopia', 'Unofficial Operation', 'The Moon', 'Sweet Sea: 7510', and 'Guardian', you can see that all 5 films have a male lead. 'Smuggling' is the only film with a female character as the lead, and you can see at a glance whether it is difficult to find a movie with a female character as the lead in the film industry. 'Smuggling' tells the story of 'Chun-ja' (Kim Hye-soo), who learned about the world of smuggling, that you can make a lot of money just by hauling in items thrown into the sea. Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah are expected to appear as female characters who lead the play. If so, what kind of attractive and strong female characters have Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah appeared so far?


Kim Hye-soo'Tazza' (2006) Director Choi Dong-hoon / Madame Jung

In the movie 'Tazza' (director Choi Dong-hoon), famous for the line "I'm a girl who graduated from this university," Kim Hye-soo played Madam Jeong, a meticulous and attractive character who designs the tazza board. 'Tazza', released in 2006, tells the story of Goni (Cho Seung-woo), who was working at a furniture factory, accidentally getting caught in a hwatu board. At the time, despite being rated as prohibited for viewing by young people, it also set a box office record of 5.69 million viewers. Madam Jung, the character played by Kim Hye-soo, also left a new mark in the Korean film industry as a ruthless female character who would do anything for money, not a character who was attracted to male characters. In this scene, which is considered one of the best scenes in the movie, exclamations of Kim Hye-soo's acting skills come out naturally. When Goni sets fire to the money won from the hwatu board, Madame Jung screams and puts out the fire with her clothes and hands. It is safe to say that Kim Hye-soo's trembling hands and teary face are the highlights of 'Tazza' as she points a gun at Goni, who runs away from the boat and says, "I can shoot."'The Thieves' (2012) Director Choi Dong-hoon / Papsi Station

In the movie 'The Thieves' (2012), Hye-soo Kim also perfectly transforms into the role of 'Pabsi', a safe thief. Papsi, who used to be in love with Macao Park (Yoon-seok Kim), and who is now betrayed by him, decides to participate in a new plan in Hong Kong. The movie 'The Thieves' is aka Popeye (Lee Jung-jae), Yenicol (Jeon Ji-hyeon), Chewing Gum (Kim Hae-sook), Zampano (Kim Soo-hyun), and Papsi, dreaming of a reversal in their lives, dreaming of a reversal in their lives, and the rare diamond 'Tears of the Sun' proposed by Macao Park. It tells the story of what happens while heading to Hong Kong to steal. Kim Hye-soo showed off her acting skills, with her graceful yet unstoppable hand movements and more experienced behavior than her junior, Yenicol, which naturally led to the modifier 'Kim Hye-soo'. Just like the name Papsi, the pungent charm of a twist and the glances that express nostalgia for the past have created an unforgettable character.'Goodbye Single' (2016) Director Kim Tae-gon / Main role

If you think Kim Hye-soo only took on roles that are seasoned and refined, you are very mistaken. In 'Goodbye Single', Kim Hye-soo shows a bold performance, playing the role of a top star suffering from cheating and planning a false pregnancy. The plan was a result of her declining popularity and public betrayal of her trusted boyfriend. In this work, Kim Hye-soo showed the essence of comic acting. Although Joo-yeon is not actually pregnant, reporters gather around her because of the false announcement, and stylist Pyeong-goo (Ma Dong-seok) becomes restless. However, Kim Hye-soo's acting revitalized her boldness to eat snacks she hadn't eaten before or to enjoy everyday life with her carefree appearance. It is a work that allows you to find a fresh charm that you have not seen in Kim Hye-soo before with a character like a cheerful girl. Kim Hye-soo, who has a comedic charm in contrast to the fussy and cold image of actor Kim Hyun-soo, who plays the pregnant girl Dan-ji in the play, showed an amazing acting transformation.


Yum Jeong-ah'Janghwa, Hongryeon' (2003) Director Kim Ji-woon / Joo-eun

Actress Yeom Jung-ah is an actress who captivates the audience with her strange charm. In director Kim Ji-woon's film 'Janghwa, Hongryeon' (2003), she surprised the audience by playing the role of Joo-eun, a stepmother who looked down on and ignored her opponent with an expressionless face. Based on a classic novel, 'Janghwa Hongryeon' tells the story of two sisters Su-mi (Su-jeong Lim) and Su-yeon (Geun-yeong Moon) living with their stepmother Joo-eun and father Mu-hyeong (Kim Gap-soo) in a Japanese-style wooden house with a gloomy atmosphere. Fair-skinned Su-mi is very wary and hates Joo-eun extremely, thinking that her step-mom caused her mother's death. At this time, Yeom Jung-ah captivates the audience with her goosebumps acting. The acting of Yum Jung-ah, who suddenly appears in front of Sumi who is searching for something in the dark and surprises her, or who alienates Sumi's father and who is empty with big eyes, is indeed fresh. In a situation where it is not known what is true, Yum Jung-ah appeared as a person who adds to the chaos and performed passionately.'Cart' (2014) Director Boo Ji-young / Seon-hee role

In 'Cart' (2014), Yeom Jeong-ah won admiration for her role as Seon-hee, a worker at a supermarket with rough skin and messy hair. The film depicts the process in which employees who worked with smiles on their faces to satisfy customer service at The Mart, a representative mart in Korea, joined the union after receiving a unilateral notice of dismissal from the company. Seon-hee, played by Yeom Jeong-ah, is in a different position from the other characters, single mom Hye-mi (Yun Jeong-hee), cleaner Pilsoo (Kim Young-ae), and naive aunt Ok-soon (Hwang Jung-min). Seon-hee, who wanders in the center without making a hasty decision in front of the union and the transition to a full-time job, takes on a three-dimensional appearance with Yeom Jeong-ah's expression of the situation that can't even do it. Moreover, Yeom Jung-ah's ever-changing appearance, which changes into different forms among colleagues, bosses, and guests, captured sympathy by capturing our image of living in reality.'Alien + Human' Part 1 (2022) Director Choi Dong-hoon / Role Heukseol

In a period drama, Yeom Jeong-ah shows a perfect performance that is befitting a character from that era. Part 1 of 'Alien + Man' (2022) is the story of a bloody battle between a master of idiotism (Ryu Jun-yeol) and a thunderous wife, Ian (Kim Tae-ri) in Goryeo in 630 to find a new sword. In the meantime, Heukseol and Cheongwoon (Cho Woojin), who are trying to find the new sword, and Jajang (Kim Uiseong), who is in a mask, also get involved in the fight. Heukseol is an impressive character with a long eyeline, hair that is raised enough to show the veins on his forehead, and a smile at the corners of his mouth. Yeom Jeong-ah's acting, which uses a fast and strong accent to energize the play, energizes the play. Along with the differentiated characteristics of being a female guru, the chemistry that is exchanged with another guru Jo Woo-jin while doing tikitaka becomes a factor that doubles the comedy. Yeom Jung-ah, who has been playing strong and strong roles, has transformed into a character who makes people laugh by performing splendid magic tricks in the first part of 'Alien + Human'.

It is not easy to find a work in which a female character is the lead, but nevertheless, the recent change in movement seems to convey a different meaning to us. It is not an attitude of trying to draw a female character unconditionally, but that you have to create an attractive character by breaking away from roles that are limited to men and women. It seems to be one of the homework we have to do in the future. 'Smuggling', which will be released on the 26th, is a movie in which a rare female character is the main character. Kim Hye-soo is an actress who left an overwhelming mark as an attractive female character in the Korean film industry, exuding an aura just by her name. Yeom Jeong-ah is also an actress who has shown a female character that has never been seen before, which is the vitality of the movie with her strange charm. Can we see another world created by female characters in 'smuggling' where these two meet? I am looking forward to the combination of the two actors with acting skills that I believe and see with tension.

Reporter Lee Ha-neul, Ten Asia greenworld@tenasia.co.kr